WHAT IS CYBER HYGIENE?

The term "cyber hygiene" is used to describe the routines and procedures that computer and device owners follow to ensure the continued viability of their hardware and the safety of their data while online. These measures are often used as part of a regular routine to prevent identity theft and the compromise of sensitive information. Cyber hygiene is similar to physical hygiene in that both are practised on a daily basis to prevent the onset of natural decay and prevalent hazards.

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BENEFITS OF CYBER HYGIENE

• Computers and software benefit greatly from a regular cyber hygiene process for two key reasons: maintenance and security.
• All hardware and software need regular upkeep to function at their best. The danger of vulnerabilities rises as files get fragmented and as software ages. Many of these problems may be spotted in their early stages and avoided altogether if routine maintenance is performed. Keeping up with routine maintenance reduces the likelihood that your system may be compromised by hackers.
• Perhaps the most crucial justification for adopting a cyber hygiene regimen is to improve safety. The hostile threat environment includes hackers, identity thieves, sophisticated viruses, and intelligent malware. Cyber hygiene is the set of procedures and policies that makes it possible to anticipate, prepare for, and avert cyber attacks.

COMMON CYBER HYGIENE PROBLEMS

Cyber hygiene is essential for many parts of an organization. A comprehensive, continuing maintenance plan must incorporate all hardware (computers, phones, linked devices), software, and web apps in use. It's important to remember that there are distinct vulnerabilities in each of these systems, and that these flaws might cause different issues. Here are only a few examples of such issues:

● Loss of Data: 

Backups and regular maintenance are essential for protecting data stored on hard drives and online cloud storage from hackers, corruption, and other threats.

● Misplaced Data: 

Having bad cyber hygiene might lead to additional forms of data loss. Due to the proliferation of storage options in contemporary businesses, it is fairly uncommon for important documents to go missing. This does not always mean that the information has been damaged or is permanently lost.

● Security Breach: 

All corporate data is under continual, instantaneous attack. The contemporary danger environment is ever-evolving, and it includes phishing, hackers, malware, spam, viruses, and many more.

● Out of Date Software: 

All software in use within an organization should be kept up-to-date on a regular basis to ensure the latest security updates and features. There is a greater opportunity for hackers and viruses to compromise outdated software.

● Older Security Software: 

The threat environment is always shifting, so antivirus and other security software must be updated often to stay up. Even security software that hasn't been updated in a few months is useless against modern threats to businesses.

BEST PRACTICES: A CYBER HYGIENE CHECKLIST

While it may seem daunting to establish a regular cyber hygiene regimen in light of the many risks and exposures associated with each piece of the digital jigsaw, doing so is really rather simple. A system's security may be greatly enhanced by consistently using a handful of best practices.

Creating a record of your computer's components and any programs or websites you use online is necessary. Make a list with these first three things:

Hardware:

Tools such as computers, mobile devices, and linked devices (such printers and fax machines) (i.e. smartphones, tablets).

Software:

All of the software that is shared across the machines on a network is placed there physically.

Applications:

Applications that aren't physically installed on a user's device, such as those found on the web (like Dropbox or Google Drive) or on their phone or tablet.

Analyze the List of Equipment and Programs

After compiling a full inventory of all cyber-exposed parts, you may start inspecting the inventory for security flaws. Dispose of and clean up your old gear the right way. All user passwords should be reset, and out-of-date software and applications should be updated. It's important to properly remove apps when they are no longer needed. It's important to choose one application or app as the default for a certain task across all users. If two different cloud services are being utilized for storing files, for instance Google Drive and Dropbox, then one must be designated as the main service and the other must be either used as a backup or removed.

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CREATE A COMMON CYBER HYGIENE POLICY

A standardized set of procedures for maintaining cyber hygiene throughout the newly defined network of devices and applications is required. These procedures need to be written down as a policy that all users of the network must adhere to.

The following are examples of typical components of a cyber hygiene policy:

● Password Changes:

Passwords should be lengthy and difficult to guess, and they should be updated on a frequent basis to maximize cyber security.

● Software Updates: 

Software updates, or upgrades, should be considered as part of your routine checkup to ensure optimal health.

● Hardware Updates: 

The performance and stability of older computers and devices may benefit from upgrades.

● Manage New Installs: 

In order to maintain an accurate stock of hardware and software, each new installation must be performed correctly and recorded.

● Limit Users: 

This degree of access should only be granted to people who really require it, such as program administrators. All other users should be severely handicapped.

● Back Up Data: 

It is imperative that every information be duplicated and stored in a separate location (i.e. hard drive, cloud storage). In the case of a breach or malfunction, this will keep it secure.

● Employ a Cyber Security Framework: 

Organizations may choose to evaluate and use a more sophisticated approach (like the NIST framework) to guarantee security.

Once the policy has been established, realistic intervals may be established for each component of it. Passwords, for instance, may be changed every 30 days, and updates could be checked for at least once each week. Maintaining your network's cyber hygiene is essential to its sustained operation.

Businesses in the modern day have to have thorough cyber hygiene measures. Organizations today may keep their security in check with the help of good cyber hygiene practices, especially when they are combined with other, more strong forms of enterprise-wide protection and recovery.

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